Bridging Canada’s digital divide

Imagine running a small business and not being able to sell your products online. Or being a nurse who can’t access electronic patient records. That’s the daily reality for many Canadians living in rural, remote and northern communities where poor broadband and cellular connectivity are the norm.

In my own community of Mount Brydges, hundreds are without access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. Sadly, the situation only gets worse in the rural areas outside of our population centres. This means that a business located on Inadale Drive cannot access the vital internet connectivity needed to expand sales and employ more local residents. This also means young students living in our communities are at a disadvantage when competing with their urban cousins for the jobs of tomorrow.

As just one example of this, in early March, I received feedback from a desperate resident on Longwood’s Road. This mother of four young children worries that her kids are being disadvantaged because of technological limitations. You see, there are no cable or fibre connections on Longwood’s, and only dial-up is on offer. This means high-speed internet access is not just spotty; it is non-existent for this and many other rural families.

And unfortunately, for two-million Canadians, fast and reliable broadband or wireless connections remain out of reach. With numbers like that, it’s clear this is a national concern, and it must be fixed.

We know we can fix this, and progress has been made in the past. Federal investments like the $500-million federal Connect to Innovate program and the CRTC’s $750-million Broadband Fund are good first steps in bringing service to hard-to-reach areas.

But the job is far from done.

On behalf of communities from coast to coast to coast, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is advocating a plan that has received industry-wide nods of approval. And the federation is looking to federal budget 2019, set for release March 19, to detail a clear path to achieving truly universal broadband and mobile access in Canada.

What does that plan look like?

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities believes budget 2019 must include a national broadband strategy with clear service standards and timelines. And that strategy needs to be backed up with support—an investment of at least $400 million per year for 10 years.

High-speed connectivity supports everything from public safety and modern education to the conditions businesses need to innovate and grow. This is about enabling all Canadians to benefit from becoming active participants in digital life—improving the overall well-being of our country.

It’s 2019. In a country as vast and diverse as ours, broadband isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s a necessity. Budget 2019 is the time and place to welcome all Canadians into the digital age and ensure they have access to fast and reliable internet—no matter where they live.

Joanne Vanderheyden is the mayor of Strathroy-Caradoc and third vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities